OK to kindof help my wife set some fears aside, I'm looking into hooking up some cameras around my house. General setup will include atleast 2 outside covering backyard/porch, side of house around garage, and one overlooking front door, and maybe even one in house in the kids room so we can keep an eye on them. I'm looking at several different setups and am liking the IP cameras. Now for some questions.

1)Would IP be better vs. analog cable...ie viewing over any of the computers networked in the house vs. viewing on a tv? Maybe even spending some extra money to combine the two?

2)When dealing with IP cameras would it be to use cameras that are POE capable or some how running power and network to them or wireless and power?

3)Also with POE do I need to buy any type of a special router/switch/hub to use or will any of my 3 routers work? Or if I buy a power adaptor that supplies power thru a Cat5 cable, will that worked pluged into a router?

Hard-wired systems are more difficult to install, but more secure and reliable. Those wireless types do need battery changes, or use an AC adapter. You would need a multi-port video input to allow scan changes.
But look at the packages made for security setups. For the price of some kits, it may save a lot of time against cobbling up your own design.
Cameras with night-vision are very useful.
Some setups use active cameras that scan back and forth, and are a sign that security systems are working. Even those "dummy" cameras can scare off intruders.

Karlsweldt wrote:Hard-wired systems are more difficult to install, but more secure and reliable. Those wireless types do need battery changes, or use an AC adapter.

Hence looking at POE, only need to mount camera and run a Cat5 cable between it and my router in the attic. Does save hassle of running a power source to the camera.

Karlsweldt wrote: You would need a multi-port video input to allow scan changes.

Why would I need that? If cameras are IP based I can view them in a browser window and most come with software to view mutliple cameras in one window.
I can understand if I stuck to an analog cable system but then I would have a hard time looking at them on different tv's unless I do some major splitting and splicing the coax to each room and that sounds like a hassle.

Maybe some way of outputing any camera signal out of a computer and bump it down to coax for tv's but that will take some looking into as well.

The signal from those cameras is in an RF format.. similar to what comes over the air or via CATV. Those receiver "head ends" have many inputs which are electronically switched to monitor a specific camera, or multiple thumb images. Only those Web cams (as they are called) connect directly to a USB interface.. for ease of use.
If those security cameras connect via a coax cable only, then its power source as well as the video signal is carried on the same wire. But likely the same operation scheme is used with USB interface.
All newer cameras are CCD type, requiring very little power.. and having no problem with flash-blinding as the older electron-tube-type did.
There are so-called "lipstick" cameras that are very small and have good video, plus those "backup" cameras for auto use.

I have always been in favour of wired setups... Batteries fail more than external power... Have a full analogue wired setup in the shop with one large visible camera and 5 covert cameras... These feed into a DVR box that records to a hard drive (stores a weeks worth, cameras are day/night and motion sensitive, so only record on motion, but are always monitoring)... The DVR box is wired into the router and can be accessed over the internet at anytime to view any camera in either full screen or split screen.... Expensive bit was the DVR box, you can get PCI cards to do the same thing with a PC, but not as reliable...

I have been programming on computers since the ZX81.
I am an apprentice trained Electronics Engineer with qualifications to back it up.
I have been repairing computers since 1996.
Yet to some people I still know nothing...

Mr.T Can you give me the names and/or specs of the dvr box and cameras you use. It will help me compare to other ones and do some shopping. I've always consider this forum a good place for reviews vs. a company website.